The present invention relates to a process for the production of diacetyl.
Diacetyl is a major constituent of butter flavour, ordinary butter containing about 8-10 ppm. It is also an important flavour compound in dairy products and coffee.
Up to the present time, milk has been used as a source of diacetyl by fermentation which yields about 80 ppm. U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,673 describes the preparation of diacetyl from oilseed products by fermenting with Lactobacillus casei spp. rhamnosus AT CC 39595 at a pH of 6 to 7 for less than 8 hours, but the yield of diacetyl is never more than 44 ppm. U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,992 describes the preparation of a buttery flavour containing diacetyl by fermenting a coffee substrate with a lactic acid producing bacteria.